ChinaDue to safety factors, archaeologists have no way to know for sure whether the mercury river really existed in the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang as described by historian Sima Qian.
The famous terracotta statues are just one part of the huge mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor to unify China, who ruled from 221 to 210 BC. In fact, the complex, located 30 kilometers east of Xi’an city in northwest China, contains more than 400 tombs, covering an area of 60 square kilometers. More than 500,000 workers worked there for 38 years, according to a blueprint intended to emulate all of China, according to Labrujulaverde.
The central chamber, where the emperor’s tomb is located, was never opened. At the request of archaeologists working at the site, the Chinese government does not allow this chamber to be opened and examined until technology is available to safely protect whatever is inside from damage. It will likely take years, decades or centuries for that to happen.
What we know about the tomb’s internal layout comes from the historian Sima Qian, the founder of Chinese history who lived from 145 to 86 BC. The History was initiated by his father Sima Tan and completed by Sima Qian in 91 BC, about 5 years before his death. The work tells about the process of building the mausoleum, burying the terracotta warrior and provides data such as the number of workers participating in this great project.
When Western historians examined Sima Qian’s notes, they expressed doubts about the authenticity of the History. However, archaeological discoveries in recent decades confirm many of the descriptions in the Annals of History such as the terracotta warriors and the location of the tombs. Today, archaeologists pay so much attention to Sima Qian’s records that they do not dare open Qin Shi Huang’s tomb.
Although no one knows exactly what is inside the tomb, according to Sima Qian, in the palace, which is larger than an underground football field, there is a miniature copy of China at that time, including more than 100 rivers and lakes. and the sea. In this miniature world, large amounts of mercury are used instead of water to simulate the flow of rivers.
In the 1980s, a research team at the China Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration discovered that the soil around the tomb contained significantly higher concentrations of mercury than the surrounding area. While in remote locations, soil often contains an average of 30 ppb (parts per billion) of mercury, the average level in tombs is 250 ppb, even as high as 1,500 ppb in some places. Many archaeologists working at the site believe that the mercury river likely existed. In particular, the final tests to measure soil resistivity revealed an interesting topographic feature. Phase anomalies occur when electric current is reflected by a conductive surface such as metal.
Additionally, analysis of the distribution of mercury revealed the highest concentrations in the northeast and south, while the northwest corner had very low concentrations. The results of comparing this distribution on the Chinese map coincide with the location of two major rivers, the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, visible from the Qin Dynasty capital Xianyang, about 30 km from the tomb.
According to Yinglan Zhang, who directed the excavations from 1998 to 2007, there are many other artefacts and antiquities in the central chamber and other surrounding tombs, beyond human imagination. But he said the distribution of mercury may not be a reliable indicator. The chamber could have collapsed thousands of years ago, like the tomb containing the terracotta army. Mercury can evaporate and seep into the soil over centuries.
The terracotta warriors were found outside the 2 km wall surrounding the central chamber. Inside the walls were many buildings containing food and other objects the emperor might need in the afterlife. It is possible that the emperor was not buried alone. Sima Qian said many officials were buried with Qin Shi Huang, although it is unclear whether they were alive or dead at the time. Many buildings and objects were plated with mercury-laced gold and silver, a common practice of the time.
If mercury is indeed used for decorative purposes, experts suspect the amount must be very large. Based on estimates of the amount of mercury produced, they speculate that the builders used about 100 tons, approximately 7m3 of mercury.